The House narrowly rejected a bipartisan Senate aviation safety bill responding to the fatal 2025 crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Tuesday after the Defense Department raised national security concerns the previous day.
The bill, introduced by Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, would require all aircraft to be equipped with specific location transmission technology, known as ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) In, and repeal certain military exemptions from the technology requirements. The Senate passed the bill by unanimous consent.
The bill, known as the ROTOR Act, was introduced in response to the January 2025 mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional passenger jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan airport, killing all 67 people aboard both aircraft.
